160 Pakistanis stranded in Syria return home today.

ISLAMABAD -- As many as 160 Pakistanis out of around 300 stranded in Syria are scheduled to reach home on Monday (today) from Aleppo.

The Pakistani pilgrims were left stranded after the runways of Damascus airport were severely damaged by Israeli air strikes on Friday.

As a result, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suspended its operation to the Syrian capital. However, following the request of Pakistan's Ambassador to Syria retired Air Marshal Saeed Mohammad Khan, the airline made arrangements to send a special flight to bring the pilgrims back.

Every year thousands of Pakistani pilgrims visit Syria to pay their respects at the shrine of Hazrat Zainab, the granddaughter of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as well as other family members and companions of the holy prophet (PBUH) who are buried there.

According to a statement issued by Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Central Secretariat, the Pakistani embassy in Syria has arranged transport for the stranded Pakistanis from Damascus to Aleppo.

PIA arranges special flights for evacuation; remaining pilgrims will travel to Iraq

The party issued the statement since its chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, is serving as foreign minister in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet.

The statement said as per the instructions of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the embassy in Syria was in contact with all pilgrims, approximately 300 in total.

It said 160 people were scheduled to travel to Pakistan by PIA from Aleppo airport, which is around 150km from Damascus, on June 13 (today).

'Our embassy is arranging transportation of the passengers from Damascus to Aleppo,' the statement said, adding that the remaining 140 pilgrims would travel to Iraq on their own.

Syria has been embroiled in civil war since 2011 and till now Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against it, targeting government troops and their allies. Before Friday's attack, the war-ravaged country had rarely witnessed such a major flight disruption.

Meanwhile, talking to Dawn, Director of Al Harmain Travels based in Karachi Syed Musa Raza said...

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